Dutch foreign minister summons Russian ambassador over drone incursion into Poland

The Minister of Foreign Affairs, David van Weel, has summoned the Russian ambassador to account for the Russian drones that flew over Poland on Wednesday. Some of the drones were shot down by Dutch fighter jets.The caretaker VVD minister announced this on Thursday before the start of a parliamentary debate.

At around 12:30 p.m., the Russian ambassador met with a senior official at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. “He was told that this is unacceptable,” said Van Weel.

The reason behind the violation of Polish airspace does not matter to him. The Russians themselves claim it was a mistake, but NATO countries are skeptical. Several drones crossed the border throughout the night, some penetrating as far as 300 kilometers into Poland.

According to the minister, several European countries have summoned the Russian ambassador, including the Baltic states, Romania, Spain, and Poland.

The attack sparked angry reactions from political leaders in the Netherlands, with many insisting that action was needed. It is one of Van Weel’s first acts as foreign minister. He was appointed on September 2, after NSC left the cabinet, leaving the VVD and BBB as the only remaining parties in the coalition. Before that, he served as Minister of Justice and Security.